Can opener



y 1966 J. G. PORTTEUS 3,259,977

CAN OPENER Filed Dec. 19, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3A FIG. 2

JAMES G. PORTTEUS INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY y 12, 1956 J. G. PORTTEUS 3,259,977

CAN OPENER Filed Dec. 19, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JAMES G. PORTTEUS INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,259,977 CAN OPENER James Gold Portteus, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Phillip A. Portteus, Dallas, Tex. Filed Dec. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 333,787 3 Claims. (Cl. 30--16) This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial Number 109,649, filed May 12, 1961, and later abandoned. This invention relates to a can opener and a method of forming perforations in containers to improve pouring of liquids therefrom. More particularly, this invention relates to a one-piece can opener especially adapted for use on cans and other containers without lips. Briefly my invention provides a device for perforating a can and forming a non-drip lip therein. The device comprises means for slidably supporting the device on the side of a can, means for perforating said can to a controllable and predeterminable and limited depth at a point spaced slightly interiorly from the side wall of said can while cutting a flap in the roof of said can and forming thereby an orifice of controlled size while partially folding said cutaway portion under the roof of said can and away from said side. The means for slidably supporting comprises a tongue for forming a downwardly and inwardly sloped groove in an outer portion of the roof of said can, said groove extending from a side wall of said can to the orifice made by said perforating means. The means for slidably supporting the device for punching a hole also provides for simultaneously crimping the wall of said can below said orifice in the roof while forming the groove leading to that orifice and opening the hole. The device has only one cutting point, and it is turned inward for safety in handling and storing such a can opener as well as safety during its operation.

One object of this invention is to provide a can opener of improved efficiency and convenience.

Another object of this invention is to provide a can opener of improved convenience, efficiency, and reliability for use with cans having little or no outstanding lip.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a can opener manufacturable from one piece of metal sheet.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a can opener with a large handle adapted to effect perforation of a container wall or roof with convenient control of size of opening made.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus to perforate and bend the roof of a container in order to improve pouring of liquids therefrom.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a can opener apparatus adapted for use on the type of cans havmg little or no lips at the juncture of the roof and the sides of the can to conveniently and reliably create a nondrip groove therein.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art on a study of the below description and drawings. In the drawings, which form a part of this description and wherein like numerals refer to like parts in all figures;

FIGURE 1 is a side view tion shown in juxtaposition operate;

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the device shown in FIGURE 1 as seen in the direction indicated by the arrow 2A in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view of the can opener device in a position whereat it has perforated the roof of the can shown in FIGURE 1, this view being taken along the plane 3A3B of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a cutaway view of the device as seen along the section 4A-4B in FIGURE 3;

of the device of this invento a can on which it is to FIGURE 5 is a top view, partly in section along the plane indicated as 7A7B in FIGURE 3, of the can and can opener after the action shown in FIGURES 3 and 4;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view showing the beginning of the prying operation effected by the device of this invention;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the can and can opener shown in FIGURE 6 near the termination of the prying operation effected with the device of this invention;

FIGURE 8 is a top view of the can following the operation of the device of this invention as shown in FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the can following the operation of the device of this invention, said can being shown in its operative pouring position.

Generally, the device of the invention comprises a unitary can opener 10 comprising a shaft portion, generally shown as 11, continuous and integral with and cooperating with a handle portion 12, this portion 12 having a perforating punch plate portion 13.

The shaft portion 11 is provided at its free end with a diagonally projecting prying tongue 14 located between free end recess 15 and a side recess 16; recess 16 is adjacent to grasping hook 17 formed in one, lower, side 18 of shaft 11. The punch plate 13 is tapered and provides a sharp strong point 19 with its tip 20 spaced a definite distance from the interior surface 21 of the shaft 11. This distance is at least as great as the thickness of the wall 22 of the can 23.

The tip 24 of the tongue 14 is located in line with the edge 18 of shaft 11. The tongue 14 has a curved bottom edge with an upwardly convex shoulder the edge 25 of which is at an angle of about 25 to the edge of side 18; this angle may vary from about 20 to Cutting edges, as 26, 27,28, 29, on punch plate 13 spread from the point 19 to the top of the plate 13 whereat the handle, 12, is formed with a rounded handle top, 31, having a rounded front edge 32, a rounded rear edge 33, a rounded left side edge 34, and a rounded right side edge 35. The handle 12 connects by its curved rear edge 33 to the shaft portion 11. The space 36 between the punch plate point 19, the handle top 31 and the rear edge 33 of the handle 12 is large enough to permit ready insertion of a large mans middle or index finger for convenient handling of the device. In the preferred embodiment this space is 1" high and 1%" wide.

In operation shaft portion 11 is placed against a can 23 and held in place, as by the operators one hand, in the position shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. Heel 37 of the operators other hand 38 then presses down on the top of handle 12 in the direction of the arrow 39 in FIGURES 1 and 4. The sharp point 19 ruptures the top of the can at its point of contact 48 therewith and cuts the roof 41 along the lines of contact 42 and 44 of the cutting edges 26 and 27 therewith. Plate 13 then serves to form a triangular shaped orifice 43 by forcing downwards the thus separated V-shaped flap portion 45 of the can \roof 41.

The size of the opening 43 thus created by the action of the can opener device of this invention is controlled by means indicating to the operator when point 19 has traveled a certain distance downward through the roof 41. In the preferred embodiment there is a distinct gradient of slope of the lower cutting edge portions 26 and 27 and the upper cutting edge portions 28 and 29, respectively. These cutting edge portions meet at points at a height over the tip 20 at which the desired depth of perforation by the cutting blade 13 has been achieved. This provides for a convenient or semi-automatic control of the size of 3 orifice 43. Of course, the operator may further perforate the roof 41 by further downward motion of the handle 12 to any desired depth and size of the opening 43. In the preferred embodiment this juncture of these edges is A" above the height of the tip 20. As described below the cooperation of the rear or inner edge 47 of the hole 43 with the prying tongue 14 in order to make a non-drip groove is a feature of this invention; accordingly the control of the size of the hole 43 which provides this cooperation of size and can opener component dimension relative thereto is a feature of this invention.

After forming a first hole 43 on one side of the can, the same perforating operation is repeated to provide a vent hole 49 on the other side of the can 23. The large surface of the handle top of handle 12 permits the user to exert his full weight, as through his hand 38, to force the tip Ztl against the can top and effect a ready, reliable perforation without need of a can lip for leverage without danger of tipping the can, and further with a positive and safe control of the size and dimensions of the hole.

The shaft portion 11 is, in the preferred embodiment, a slightly curved sheet of metal having a radius of curvature preferably the same as or no greater than that of the surface of the cylindrical can to which it is to be applied: this relationship provides a parallel orientation of the longitudinal axis and direction of the perforating point 20 of the can opener device It? parallel to the axis of the cylindrical surface of the cylindrical can. It is of course within the scope of my invention to use this device on non-cylindrical cans, but this description is of the preferred embodiment.

Following completion of the vent hole, the prying tongue 14 is inserted into the orifice 43 made as above described with the punch plate point 19. The prying tongue is inserted into the hole 43 as shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, with the hook 117 pivoting at its point of juncture 51 with the wall 22 of the can 23. This point of juncture acts not only as a pivot for the below described prying operation but, also, as a sliding support for the operation, below described, of the can opener 1t Forceful rotation of the can opener If as per arrow 53 not only presses up- Wardly the inner edge 47 in the roof 41 of the can but, also, the tongue acts as a lever fulcrum pivoted at its point of contact with the inner portion of the roof and its shoulder edge 25 so forces down the portion 55 of the roof 41 while hook 117 slides downward on the outside of can wall 23. The shoulder edge 25 thus forms a downward and inwardly sloped groove 57.

The side recess 16 is sufficiently deeply curved out to permit the hook 17 to be forced into the wall 22 of the can 30 and so crimp said wall, as at 58, to provide a sharp edge, as at 60, to limit the probability of dripping of liquid accumulated on the top of the roof 41 of the can 23 at the intended end of pouring of fluid therefrom.

For this purpose the depth of hole 43 is controlled, as above described, so that the edge 24 of the tongue 14 may reach to and pivot below the edge 47 of orifice 43, as shown in FIGURE 7.

Notwithstanding this crimping action, the groove 57 slopes downwardly and inwardly from the edge 60 to the orifice 43 and so excess liquid otherwise on the roof flows in the direction of arrow 64 providing thus a drip-free pouring spout rather than permitting a dripping downward over and making unsightly and unsanitary the outside wall of the can 23.

Also, the upward motion of the free end of the prying tongue which results from the rotary motion along arrow 53 as shown in FIGURE 6 to the position shown in FIG URE 7 provides for raising the portion of the can roof 41 in contact with the prying tongue and folds inwardly the V-shaped flap portion 45 as shown in FIGURE 7. This improves the flow of air to and from the interior of the can 23 immediately adjacent to the point of pouring and thereby improves the smoothness of pouring of liquid from the orifice 43 made as above described.

According to this invention, the initial downward pressure on the can opener 10 as above described provides a hole of deliberately limited size in order to effect the cooperation of the shaft 11 and shoulder of the tongue 14 and edges of the hole 43 to form groove 57 in the top of the can to improve the flow of fluid out of the hole 43 made by the device. The exact size of the inwardly sloped area around the groove 57 to provide a sufficiently large and inwardly sloped area to prevent outward dripping may be varied by those skilled in the art.

In the preferred embodiment above described the length of the grooves 57 is /8 inch. The size of the hole 43 is along the edge 47 and along the edges 42 and 44. These dimensions are given for a can opener to be used with a can of 2 in height and 2 /2 in diameter and in wall thickness. In the preferred embodiment the overall length of the device 10 from the tip of the prying tongue 14 to the top of handle 12 is 2%": the width of the handle 12 is 1" and the length of the front edge 32 to the rear edge 34 of the handle is 1 /2 inches. FIGURES 1, 2, 6 and 7 are drawn to scale to illustrate the above described relations.

It is within the scope of this invention that other shapes of grooves other than those particularly shown which provide the same action in cooperation with the lever action which pries upward the distant edge 47 of the hole 43 may be used.

The device of this invention, above described in its preferred embodiment, is particularly adapted for the convenient perforation of cans having little or no lip in the area of juncture of the cylindrical side walls and top of metal cans; such cans are used for evaporated milk and fluid baby foods and drinks as well as desirable for industrial uses. The device of this invention provides a clean cut orifice with a V-shaped weir and a V-shaped flap portion 45 which is, as above described, rotated about the line of juncture with the roof located at inner edge 47 of the flap 45 and orifice 43 so that said flap is finally located as shown in FIGURE 7 adjacent the lower surface of roof 41 of the can. In this position the tflap provides a minimum interference with the flow of fluid from the can.

According to my invention there is thus provided a device 10 for perforating a can as 23 and forming a nondrip lip therein. The device comprises shaft means 11 for slidably supporting on the side of said can means "13 for perforating said can to a controllable and predeterminable and limited depth at a point spaced slightly interiorly from the side wall of said can while cutting a flap 45 in the roof of said can and forming thereby an orifice 43 of controlled size while folding said cut away portion under the roof of said can and away from said side. The means for slidably supporting comprises a means as tongue 14 for forming an inwardly sloped groove 57 in the portion of the roof of said can, said groove extending from the side walls of said can to the orifice 43 made by said perforating means 13 and said means 17 for slidably supporting, also providing for simultaneously crimping the wall of said can below said orifice while forming groove 57.

The one-piece device 10 is formed of a single metal strip. This device is, accordingly, easily cleaned. Also, this structure avoids the expense in manufacture of joining various parts and also avoids bothersome and undesirable accumulation of food particles along such joints necessary in multiple-piece articles.

In the device 10 there is only one cutting point, and it is turned inward. This provides a novel feature of safety in handling and storing such a can opener as well as-during its operation. In the event of slipping of the operators hand during operation there is no outwardly pointed cutting point on which the operators hand might be hurt and there are also no protruding sharp edges as might hurt a housewifes hand while rummaging through the usual kitchen drawer-full of kitchen utensils. In this simple, and yet sturdy and safe, structure v the curved shaft 11 keeps the puncturing point 19 aligned with a cylindrical can on which the tool is operated to directly apply the force of the operators hand (as in FIGURE 4) without the necessity of the operator holding the can and an intermediate shaft to apply the puncturing force from the hand to the surface of the can top to effect a puncture as needed. This is accomplished because the means, 19, for cutting a portion of the roof of the can is located quite near the curved shaft 11, which shaft is composed in large part of the crimping and groove forming means 14, 15, 16 and 24. As shown in FIGUR-E'S 1 and 4, the handle 12 provides a horizontal portion 31 for the operators hand as 38 to contact and press downwards at a point peripheral to the sides of the can of which the roof is to be punctured. This structural feature of locating the pushing or pressing the handle top 31 with its longitudinal axis peripheral or lateral to the shaft or support member 11 and its components 14, 24 and 51 which contact the can slidably, and having the curved slidable shaft 11 extend vertically below and beyond the cutting point 19, positively guides the inwardly directed cutting point 19 into operative position on a curved can whose radius of curvature is greater than that of the curved shaft 11 reliably, easily and safely, and permits and facilitates that the device 10 reliably and safely perforate a can without a roof lip. The effective curvature of the shaft 11 is determined in large part by the location of its corner elements of which the end of the tongue 24 is one. The position of the shaft 11, and its components as 14, 24 and 51 relative to the point 19, i.e.-spaced away therefrom and interiorly thereofespecially in combination with the position of the weightbearing surface 31, provides that the device of this invention reliably and safely operates on a can whether or not there is a lip on its roof.

In the structure 10 the curved portion '12 serves as a handle and control for the manipulation of the tongue 14 in the hole 43 during the prying operation. The shaft 11 of which the tongue 14 forms a significant and coplanar critical terminal part, serves to steady and to locate the handle 12 and its punch point tip 20 as the shaft 11 is, in the preferred embodiment, a slightly curved sheet of metal and the tongue 14 forms a lateral and longitudinal extremity thereof: tongue 14 extends to a corner which is situated in line with the end edge of the shaft, i.e. the lower end thereof as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, and the inner and outer surfaces of that tongue as well as its extremity are co-planar, respectively with the curved inner and outer surfaces, respectively, of the remainder of the shaft 11. The extremity of the tongue thereby forms a bottom outside corner support for the remainder of the shaft 11 and this corner support cooperates with the other portions of the shaft 11 to positively orientate the longitudinal axis of the shaft 11 (and direction of the perforating point of the can opener device 10) parallel to the axis of the cylindrical surface of a cylindrical can as 23 which is to be punched. The handle portion 12 and the tongue 24 thus function dependent on each other on the same tool during the punching operation and also during the prying operation.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory and illustrative rather than limiting and changes in the detail of the particular constructions illustrated may accordingly be made by those skilled in the art: having thus described the particular means by which the objects of this invention are obtained, in the form at present preferred, modifications thereof within the skill of the art are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A one-piece can opener comprising a shaft elongated in a first vertical direction and having a top part, a bottom end, a front concave surface and a rear convex surface, said shaft being joined firmly at its top part to a handle, said handle comprising a top surface projecting to the rear of the rear surface of said shaft as a portion substantially normal to said first vertical direction, said top surface having a front part above and extending forwardly of the top part of the front surface of said shaft, and a bottom portion of said handle being firmly joined to the top part of said shaft, a pointed plate having a base portion and a pointed portion, a rear part of said base portion being joined to a front part of said pointed portion, said pointed plate base portion having a rear part, said rear part being firmly joined to said front part of said handle, said pointed portion having a tip directed toward the front surface and bottom end of said shaft, said tip being spaced away from said front surface of said shaft and longitudinally spaced closer to the top than the bottom end of said shaft, said shaft having two side edges, one side edge having a vertically extending recess therein extending transversely in the direction toward the other side edge for the full thickness of said shaft, an elongated tongue of lesser width than the length of the pointed plate, one edge of said tongue extending from said shaft and being integral with and extending from said shaft along the edge of said side recess distant from said handle and the length of said tongue being at an angle to said first vertical direction of elongation of said shaft, and another edge of said tongue bounding an extremity thereof and extending to a corner in line with a side and the bottom end of said shaft, said tongue extremity having inner and outer surfaces respectively co-planar with the inner and outer surfaces of said shaft.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein each of the side edges of said pointed plate of said handle are each formed of two straight edges, each of the straight side edges immediately adjacent to tip of said point being at an angle to each other less than the angle between the portions of the straight side edges more distant from said tip, and the point where the adjacent straight side edge portions on each side meet on each edge forms a distinct angle.

3. A device as in claim 2 wherein a first, upper, edge of said tongue bounds the lower edge of said recess in said shaft and said first, upper, edge is parallel to a lower, second, edge of said tongue, and an upper end of said recess opposite to said lower edge presents a downwardly directed projection adjacent the first side edge of said shaft, and said tongue projects downwardly from said projection at least as great a distance as the minimum distance from the front surface of said shaft to the point in said pointed plate at which one straight side edge immediately adja cent the tip meets an adjacent straight side edge of the plate at an angle thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,814,487 7/1931 Mueller 306.3

2,099,779 7/1935 K-ronquest 30-16 2,163,301 6/1939 Will 306.1

2,216,110 10/ 1940 Hothersall 30-16 X 2,364,219 12/1944 Johnson 3016 2,411,344 11/1946 Singer 306.1 2,649,989 8/1953 Urbano 3016 X FOREIGN PATENTS 345,287 11/1904 France.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MICHAEL BALAS, Examiner.

M. 'C. KRUSE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A ONE-PIECE CAN OPENER COMPRISING A SHAFT ELONGATED IN A FIRST VERTICAL DIRECTION AND HAVING A TOP PART, A BOTTOM END, A FRONT CONCAVE SURFACE AND A REAR CONVEX SURFACE, SAID SHAFT BEING JOINED FIRMLY AT ITS TOP PART TO A HANDLE, SAID HANDLE COMPRISING A TOP SURFACE PROJECTING TO THE REAR OF THE REAR SURFACE OF SAID SHAFT AS A PORTION SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID FIRST VERTICAL DIRECTION, SAID TOP SURFACE HAVING A FRONT PART ABOVE AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY OF THE TOP PART OF THE FRONT SURFACE OF SAID SHAFT, AND A BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID HANDLE BEING FIRMLY JOINED TO THE TOP PART OF SAID SHAFT, A POINTED PLATE HAVING A BASE PORTION AND A POINTED PORTION, A REAR PART OF SAID BASE PORTION BEING JOINED TO A FRONT PART OF SAID POINTED PORTION, SAID POINTED PLATE BASE PORTION HAVING A REAR PART, SAID REAR PART BEING FIRMLY JOINED TO SAID FRONT PART OF SAID HANDLE, SAID POINTED PORTION HAVING A TIP DIRECTED TOWARD THE FRONT SURFACE AND BOTTOM END OF SAID SHAFT, SAID TIP BEING SPACED AWAY FROM SAID FRONT SURFACE OF SAID SHAFT AND LONGITUDINALLY SPACED CLOSER TO THE TOP THAN THE BOTTOM END OF SAID SHAFT, SAID SHAFT HAVING TWO SIDE EDGES, ONE SIDE EDGE HAVING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING RECESS THEREIN EX- 